Lulu Garcia Navarro

Tickets are on sale now at tribecafestival.com slash the interview. Hope you can come. From the New York Times, this is The Interview. I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro. And this week, I'm interviewing Whitney Wolf-Herd, the founder and CEO of the dating app Bumble. Now, when I started dating, the apps weren't an option. I met my husband the good old-fashioned way through his ex-girlfriend.

Tickets are on sale now at tribecafestival.com slash the interview. Hope you can come. From the New York Times, this is The Interview. I'm Lulu Garcia Navarro. And this week, I'm interviewing Whitney Wolf-Herd, the founder and CEO of the dating app Bumble. Now, when I started dating, the apps weren't an option. I met my husband the good old-fashioned way through his ex-girlfriend.

But I wanted to talk to Wolf-Herd because her story really maps onto our culture's fraught relationship with technology and female business leaders. In 2012, Wolfherd was just out of college when she co-founded Tinder, the dating app that was squarely aimed at her generation of millennials. Tinder gamified finding love, introducing that addictive swipe feature.

But I wanted to talk to Wolf-Herd because her story really maps onto our culture's fraught relationship with technology and female business leaders. In 2012, Wolfherd was just out of college when she co-founded Tinder, the dating app that was squarely aimed at her generation of millennials. Tinder gamified finding love, introducing that addictive swipe feature.

But Wolfherd went on to have a messy breakup with Tinder. In 2014, she left the company and sued them, alleging that she'd experienced sexual harassment and discrimination from one of her co-founders with whom she'd also had a relationship. The company denied responsibility and they settled the case.

But Wolfherd went on to have a messy breakup with Tinder. In 2014, she left the company and sued them, alleging that she'd experienced sexual harassment and discrimination from one of her co-founders with whom she'd also had a relationship. The company denied responsibility and they settled the case.

Soon after, though, at only age 25, she started Bumble, which built itself as this safe space for women to find love, where they made the first move. Wolfherd then became a darling of the so-called girl boss era when women were making real strides as leaders in tech. Cut to today. Our love affair with dating apps is dying.

Soon after, though, at only age 25, she started Bumble, which built itself as this safe space for women to find love, where they made the first move. Wolfherd then became a darling of the so-called girl boss era when women were making real strides as leaders in tech. Cut to today. Our love affair with dating apps is dying.

Post-pandemic and with Gen Z very much wanting IRL connection, Bumble shares have taken a tumble and female tech leaders like Wolfherd are even more rare than when she began. So after stepping down as Bumble's CEO just last year, Wolfherd is back at the company as of March with a plan to turn its fortunes around.

Post-pandemic and with Gen Z very much wanting IRL connection, Bumble shares have taken a tumble and female tech leaders like Wolfherd are even more rare than when she began. So after stepping down as Bumble's CEO just last year, Wolfherd is back at the company as of March with a plan to turn its fortunes around.

It involves Silicon Valley's latest transformative technology, AI, a broader vision for the app beyond dating, and some perspective on what tech can and can't do for us. Here's my interview with Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfherd. Whitney, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me.

It involves Silicon Valley's latest transformative technology, AI, a broader vision for the app beyond dating, and some perspective on what tech can and can't do for us. Here's my interview with Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfherd. Whitney, thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me.

You just stepped back into your role as CEO of Bumble in March after being away for more than a year, I think. You've been in tech, though, since your early 20s. And I'm wondering what it was like in that time away because you haven't had a break.

You just stepped back into your role as CEO of Bumble in March after being away for more than a year, I think. You've been in tech, though, since your early 20s. And I'm wondering what it was like in that time away because you haven't had a break.

What was the real reason you left? I was exhausted.

What was the real reason you left? I was exhausted.

I guess that leads me to the question of why you came back. Because you are coming back at a high-stakes moment for the company. As you mentioned, Bumble's stock price has been on a low, steady decline. It's about $4. You've announced a rebrand, which we're going to get to. But big picture, what drew you back to the company?

I guess that leads me to the question of why you came back. Because you are coming back at a high-stakes moment for the company. As you mentioned, Bumble's stock price has been on a low, steady decline. It's about $4. You've announced a rebrand, which we're going to get to. But big picture, what drew you back to the company?

We're going to talk a lot more about your plans for the company. But I do want to start by going back. Because your trajectory has been so fascinating when you started Bumble. And you mentioned this. In 2014, you recently left Tinder. And the big difference between Bumble and other dating apps was women had to send the first message, right? That was like the big innovation of Bumble.

We're going to talk a lot more about your plans for the company. But I do want to start by going back. Because your trajectory has been so fascinating when you started Bumble. And you mentioned this. In 2014, you recently left Tinder. And the big difference between Bumble and other dating apps was women had to send the first message, right? That was like the big innovation of Bumble.